Can opener



Jan. 16, 1962 v. A. CORAZZELLI CAN OPENER Filed April 11, 1960 INVENTOR. M70 4 (02422510 Anon/16- United States Patent Ofiiice Patented Jan. 16, 1952 3,016,607 CAN OPENER Vito A. Corazzelli, 617 Cortez Road, Arcadia, Calif. Filed Apr. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 21,208 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-63) The invention relates to a device for opening cans, particularly of the type which opens a can by piercing a hole in one end of the can.

Canned goods enjoy great popularity today. Cans have a virtually infinite range of heights, and often, as in conventional condensed milk cans, they do not have outwardly extending peripherial lips at the junction of the sides of the can with the ends thereof. The wide range of can heights and the existence of lipless cans has created diverse problems in the opening of cans by piercing an end thereof.

Many can openers of the piercing type are inoperative on lipless cans. They depend for their operation on the can having an outwardly extending lip at the junction of the sides of the can with its ends. The projecting lip is utilized with a complementary projecting hook on the opener to provide a fulcrum for the piercing point of the opener. The common beer can opener is an example. Use of an ice pick or the like to pierce the can is an unsatisfactory solution of the problem because of the hazard of accidentally missing the can, or glancing off it, and striking an unintended object, such as the other hand of the ice pick wielder, and because of the possibility of upsetting the can and spilling its contents.

Can openers of the piercing type have been devised which do not depend for their operability on the can having an outwardly extending lip. These openers often provide a main body member which at one end pivotally carries a piercing lever so that the fulcrum for the piercing lever is not dependent upon the lip of a can, They also in some manner provide support for the bottom of the can so that the force of the piercing point on the end of the can does not displace the can. However, this has raised problems. Due to the wide range of can heights, these conventional can openers are often inoperative because they will not properly accommodate a particular can height between the piercing point and the support for the bottom of the can. Various attempts have been made to solve this problem, with the result that openers have been devised which may accommodate cans of two or perhaps three different heights. This is an obviously unsatisfactory solution of the problem because of the limited range of can heights which the opener will accommodate. When a can is encountered which does not happen to conform with one of the two or three preselected can heights for which the can opener was designed and built, it is inoperative. Moreover, these conventional can openers may require bothersome and diflicult adjustment for accommodation of different can heights, and some even require disassembly and reassembly for such accommodation.

Another problem in conventional can openers is that after the end of the can has been pierced or otherwise opened, removal of the contents of the can necessitates that it be poured through the pierced hole and over a small portion of the lip or corner of the can. This not only raises the possibility of contaminating the contents of the can, but, due to adhesion of the contents of the can to the exterior surface of the can, may cause the contents to run and not only soil the can, making it inconvenient for later use when the remainder of the contents is to be removed, but produce the mess and economic waste of spillage.

My invention effectively solves the above problems. The invention is a can opener of the piercing type which may be used on lipless cans as well as on lip cans, which easily and quickly adjusts to accommodate a large range of can heights, and which, in its preferred embodiment, simultaneously with the piercing of a hole in an end of the can also forms a pouring spout in the side of the can adjacent to the pierced hole.

Broadly, the invention consists of an elongated body member having a piercing lever with a piercing point pivotally mounted on one end and a can support member movably mounted on the other end of the body member which may be moved longitudinally of the body and releasably locked in a selected one of a plurality of positions.

Additionally the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a projection on the side of the piercing point juxtaposed to the side of the can and so oriented and shaped that when the piercing point pierces the end of the can the projection engages and deforms the side of the can adjacent to the pierced hole into a pouring spout.

The invention and its advantages will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention partially broken away along a longitudinal section;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partially in section, along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a part of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a can opener embodying the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The can opener 10 has an elongated body member 11 to one end of which a handle 12 is fixed. The handle 12 extends outwardly on one side of the body transversely of the elongate extent thereof. The end portion of the body adjacent to the handle, together with the portion of the handle adjacent to the body, are cut away at 13 and 14- to form'an aperture extending through the body and handle in the form of a bifurcated end on the body comprised of the legs 15 and 16 (FIG. 2).

A piercing lever 17 is disposed between the legs 15 and 16 and extends through the aperture in the body coplanarly with the body and the handle and, at 19 and 20, extends outwardly transversely of the body on both sides thereof. The piercing lever is pivotally mounted in the bifurcation formed by the legs 15 and 16 by means of a pivot pin 18, which is preferably a rivet, extending through the legs 15 and 16 and the piercing lever to permit the piercing lever to rotate about the pivot pin 18 in the plane of the body and the handle 12. The piercing lever 17 extends a greater distance from the pivot pin on the handle side of the body than it does on the other side of the body. On the handle side of the body, the portion 19 of the piercing lever is aligned with and substantially coextensive with the handle 12 and is disposed intermediate the handle and the body. The portion 20 of the piercing lever extending from the pivot pin on the side of the body opposite from the handle 12 is much shorter than the portion 19, as shown, so that force applied to the portion 19 is greatly magnified at the end of the short portion 20; a mechanical advantage of about 1 to 7 is satisfactory. A spring 21 disposed between the portion 19 of the piercing lever and the handle 12 biases the two apart. The spring 21 is attached to the handle and piercing lever by means of suitable tabs, spot welding, or the like 22 and 23.

Attached to the end of the short portion 20 of the piercing lever is a substantially planar piercing point 24 which extends substantially normally of the piercing lever downwardly and outwardly toward the elongate extent of the body on the side of the body 11 opposite from the handle 12, The piercing point 24 is removably attached to the portion by means of a screw extending through the point and threadedly received in the end of the portion 20, thus facilitating its replacement. As shown in FIG. 4, the piercing point tapers triangularly t-oa point 26 and has an outward =bevel 27 on the tapering edges so that the point 26 is adapted to pierce the end of a tin can. The piercing point is oricnted on the portion 26 so that maximum rotation of the piercing lever about the pivot pin 18 moves the piercing point downwardly and inwardly toward the body 11 to a position where its inside face 52 is adjacent and substantially parallel to the body.

The inside face 52 of the piercing point may be entirely planar, as shown in FIG. 1, but the preferred embodiment of this face is shown in FIG. 5, wherein it bears a preferably triangular pyramidal projection 53 which tapers to a point coincident with the point 26 and to an'edge 54 extending. from the point 26 angularly outwardly from the face 52 medianly of the piercing point. The purpose of the projection 53 is to form a pouring spout in the side of the can simultaneously with piercing of the end of the can and in alignment with the pierced hole. To facilitate the formation of the spout, the cutaway 13 in the body 11 is beveled at 55 to provide clearance for the projection 53. The projection 53 may be either a solid portion of the piercing point or, preferably, it may be a V-shaped deformation of the piercing point with the apex of the V defining the edge 54.

Extending longitudinally of the body 11 is an elongated channel shaped portion 28 of the body (FIG. 3). The channel shaped portion 28 has a back portion 29 having a planar inside face 42 and legs 30, 31 extending right angularly from the back portionsubstantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the piercing lever 17 and outwardly transversely of the body on the same side thereof as the piercing point 24. At or near the extremity of each of the legs and 31, a plurality of pairs of fingers, one on each leg, extend right angularly of the legs and parallel to the back portion 29 inwardly of the channel shapedportion 28, such as the fingers 32, 33, FIG. 3. The fingers of each pair of fingers are aligned transversely of the body and terminate in spaced relation to each other transversely of the body,- such as at 34 and 35 for the fingers 32, 33. As best shown in FIG. 2, the several pairs of fingers-are spaced longitudinally of the body from each other. The fingers of each pair of fingers are of equal extent longitudinally of the body and thespacing between pairs of fingers defines pairs of spaces aligned transversely of the body, such as the spaces 36, 37 defined between the pair of fingers 32, 33 and 63, 64. Each pair of fingers adapts .the can opener to open a can having a height substantially equal to the distance from the fingers to the point 26 of the piercing point 24, and, in order that the can opener will accommodate a wide range of can heights, a large number of pairs of fingers is provided, as illustrated in 'FIG. 2. The inside and outside faces and the ends of all the fingers, such as the inside faces 44, 45, outside faces 61, 62, and ends '34, 35 of the fingers 32, 33 are all coplanar. Preferably, the spacing between pairs of fingers longitudinally of the body is uniform sothat the extent of each pair of spaces, such as the spaces 36, 37, longitudinally of the body is the same.

Slidably disposed in the channel 28 is a can support member 40 (FIG. 3) which is made of resiliently yieldable material, such as spring steel, and has a planar portion 41 which slidably bears against the planar inside surface 42 of the back portion 29 and a second planar portion 43 which similarly slidably bears against the co planar inner faces of the pairs of fingers, such as the faces 44, 45 of the fingers 32, 33. The two planar portions 41 and 43 of the can support member are spaced from each other in substantially parallel aligned relation and are resiliently yieldably connected together at one end by an arcuate bend 46 of the member, which extends arcuately somewhat less than so that when the planar portions 41 and 43 are in bearing engagement on the surface 42 and the inner faces of the fingers, it resiliently urges the portions 41 and 43 apart to bias them against the surfaces on which they slidably bear. Attached to the end 47 of the planar member 43 remote from the bend 46 is a support tab 48 which extends outwardly of the body at substantially right angles to the body and to the portion 43 on the same side of the body as the piercing point 24. The support tab 48 has shoulders 49 and 50 aligned transversely of the body 11 and adapted to register in the transversely aligned pairs of spaces between the pairs of fingers, such as the spaces 36, 37, and bear on the sides of the fingers which define the spaces in which the shoulders are disposed. When the shoulders have registered in a pair of spaces, they, and thus the can support member 40, are locked in such position due to the outward bias of the portions 41 and 43 of the can support member, which maintains registry of the shoulders in the spaces and thu engagement between the shoulders and the fingers which define the pair of spaces. In order that the shoulders 49 and 50 will engage and bear on the sides of the fingers, the height of the shoulders normally of the portion 43 is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the corresponding dimension of the fingers. The dimension of each shoulder parallel to the portion 43 and transversely of the body is slightly greater than the inward extent of the fingers in order to define an outwardly extending portion 61 of the tab of-reduced width which will clear between opposed ends of the pairs of fingers, such as the ends 34, 35 of the pair of fingers 32, 33. The spacing between the inside faces of the members 41, 43 is at least equal to the height of the shoulders 49, 50 -atright angles to the member 43in order that the shoulders 49, 50 may be .removed from registry in a pair of spaces and from engagement with the fingers defining such pair of spaces by resilient displacement of the member 43 toward the member .41 sufficient to move the shoulders 49, 50 inwardly so that their greatest extent normal to the member 43 clears the coplanar inside faces of the pairs of fingers, such as the faces 44, 45 of the pair of fingers 32, 33.

To operate the can opener, the can suppont member 40 is adjusted longitudinally of the body 11 tospace it from the piercing point 24 an amount substantially equal to, or slightly greater than, the height of the can to be opened. This is accomplished by the operator inserting a finger between the ends of the fingers and applying force to the portion 43 of the can support member to resiliently defrect it toward the portion 41 thereof sutficiently to disengage the shoulders 49, 50 of the support tab 48 from the spaces in which they are disposed. Withthe shoulders thus disengaged, thecan support member is freely slidable in the channel 28.and may bemoved longitudinally of the body 11 to a selected pair of fingers and locked in such position by releasing the pressure on the member 43 to permit the shoulders 49, 50 of the can support member to register in the pair of spaces adjacent the selected pair of fingers in bearing engagement with the sides of the selected pair of fingers. Due to the resilient nature of the can support member 40, and particularly of the portion 46 thereof, the support tab 48, and its shoulders 49, 50 are continually urged outwardly against the fingers so that the registry and engagement of the shoulders is maintained, and the can support member is thus releasably locked in the selected position. Then th can to be opened, shown in dashed outline 60 in FIG. 1, is positioned with the end not to be pierced bearing on the support tab 48 and the end to be pierced adjacent to the piercing point '24 with the side of the can adjacent to and substantially bearing upon the body 11. The portion 19 of the piercing lever 17 and the handle 12 are then grasped and displaced toward each other with the hand of the operator. The force thus applied to the portion 19 of the piercing lever 17 is magnified due to the heretofore explained mechanical advantage of the piercing lever and, as so magnified, is transmitted to the point 26 of the piercing point 24 which moves arcuately downwardly and inwardly into the can and toward the body 11 to pierce the top of the can and displace the pierced portion of the end of the can against the inside surface of the side of the can. If the preferred embodiment of the piercing point shown in FIG. 5 is used, a pouring spout is formed in the side of the can adjacent the pierced hole simultaneously with the piercing of the hole, as heretofore explained. Upon release of the force applied to the portion 19 of the piercing lever, the spring 21 urges apart the portion 19 and the handle 12 and thus pivots the piercing lever .17 about the pivot pin 18 and removes the piercing point 24 from the can 60. The can is then open and is removed from the can opener for emptying of its contents through the pierced hole and spout. Difierent height cans are readily accommodated by the can opener due to the adjustable spacing of the can support member 40 from the piercing point, but once the can support member 40 is releasably locked in a selected position for a given can its outwardly extending tab 48 provides a firm support, locked in position, for the bottom of the can so that the top thereof may be opened in the manner heretofore described.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth above, since these may be modifled within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising an elongated body member, a handle on one end of the body member extending transversely to the body on one side thereof, a piercing lever coplanar with the body and the handle and extending transversely to the body on each side thereof, a pivot attaching the piercing lever to the body at the handle end thereof for rotation of the piercing lever about the pivot in the plane of the body and the handle, a piercing point on the extent of the piercing lever on the side of the body opposite the handle and extending from the piercing lever in substantially the direction of the elongate extent of the body, an elongated channel shaped portion of the body extending longitudinally of the body away from the handle, a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of transversely spaced aligned fingers on the legs of the channel shaped portion of the body extending from said legs inwardly of the channel in spaced relation to the back of the channel, each finger of a pair of fingers being the same shape as the other, and a can support member slidably disposed in the body intermediate the fingers and the back of the channel shaped portion of the body having portions adapted to removably engage any pair of the pairs of fingers and having a portion extending outwardly transversely to the body on the same side thereof as the piercing point, whereby the can support member may be moved longitudinally of the body and releasably locked in any one of a plurality of locations and a can to be opened by piercing its top may be positioned with its bottom engaging the can support member and its side adjacent the body for piercing with the piercing point by rotation of the piercing lever about the pivot.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the piercing point has an outwardly extending triangnlarly shaped projection on its surface juxtaposed to the body adapted to impress a triangularly shaped pouring spout in the side of the can adjacent to the pierced hole as a result of piercing the can with the piercing point.

3. A can opener comprising an elongated body memher, a handle on one end of the body member extending transversely to the body on one side thereof, a piercing lever coplanar with the body and the handle and extending transversely to the body on each side thereof, the extent of the piercing lever on one side of the body being substantially greater than the extent thereof on the other side of the body and the greater extent of the piercing lever being disposed intermediate the handle and the body in aligned and substantially coextensive relation with the handle, a pivot attaching the piercing lever to the body at the handle end thereof for rotation of the piercing lever about the pivot in the plane of the handle and the body, a triangularly pointed piercing point fixed on the lesser extent of the piercing lever and extending from the piercing lever transversely thereof toward the elongate extent of the body, an elongated channel shaped portion of the body extending longitudinally of the body away from the handle, the channel shaped portion of the body having a back and spaced parallel legs extending right angularly therefrom on the same side of the body as the piercing point and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the piercing point, a plurality of pairs of fingers on the channel shaped portion of the body, the fingers of each pair of fingers being the same shape and aligned transversely to the body and being attached one near the outer extremity of each leg of the channel and extending right angularly to the leg inwardly of the channel with their ends spaced transversely to the body, each pair of fingers having their ends spaced the same amount transversely to the body and being aligned in all directions transversely to the body and the pairs of fingers being spaced from one another longitudinally of the body to define a plurality of pairs of spaces aligned transversely of the body between the pairs of fingers, and a resiliently yieldable can support member having a first U-shaped portion slidably disposed in the body intermediate the fingers and the back of the channel with the legs of the U-shaped portion in slidable bearing engagement with the fingers and the back of the channel and having a second portion extending at right angles from the leg of the U-shaped member in slidable bearing engagement with the fingers outwardly transversely to the body on the same side thereof as the piercing point, said outwardly extending second portion being comprised of a pair of shoulder portions adjacent to the leg of the U-shaped member to which it is attached which extend transversely to the body substantially coextensively with the fingers and of a portion of reduced Width extending from the shoulders between the transversely aligned ends of the fingers, the inside faces of the legs of the U-shaped member being spaced an amount at least equal to the outward extent of the shoulder portions at right angles to the leg of the U-shaped member adjacent to the fingers, whereby the can support member may be moved longitudinally of the body and releasably locked in any one of a plurality of locations by disposition of the pair of shoulders in a pair of spaces between the fingers and engagement of the pair of shoulders with. the fingers, and a can to be opened by piercing its top may be positioned with its bottom engaging the can support member and its side adjacent the body for piercing with the piercing point by rotation of the piercing lever about the pivot produced by movement of the piercing lever toward the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,537 Munsing Nov. 22, 1921 1,866,642 Geer July 12, 1932 2,135,116 Shaffer Nov. 1, 1938 2,259,499 Taylor Oct. 21, 1941 2,540,541 Meyers Feb. 6, 1951 2,698,992 Williamson et al Ian. 11, 1955 2,722,051 Newell et a1 Nov. 1, 1955 2,722,737 Withers a- Nov. 8, 1955 2,776,477 Withers Jan. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,777 Great Britain of 1900 426,175 France Apr. 25, 1911 

